Evolution of the lagoon coast in northeastern Sakhalin exemplified by the Nyiskii Inlet‒Plastun Spit coastal system

Abstract

The behavior of the coastal system represented by Nyiskii Inlet (lagoon) and Plastun Spit is investigated by modeling morphodynamic processes. The observable advance of Plastun Spit and displacement of the Anuchin Strait are explained by changes in the alongshore sediment flux transporting material to the end of the spit from the south. It is shown that severe storms combined with a surge and tide tend to deepen the lagoon bottom. The model of a tidal inlet system is proposed to describe the evolution of tidal flats under conditions of a relative rise in sea level. It is concluded that the volume of tidal flats can be reduced several times in the next 100 years. This trend should accelerate erosion of the inlet coasts due to decreased dissipation of the energy received from the open sea.